What have we learnt about learning?

1. What have we learnt about learning? Watch, discuss, and consider the implications for the way you presently teach ... … and enjoy !

2. What have we learnt about learning? Mike Hughes, Closing the Learning Gap

3. What have we learnt about learning? The maximum concentration time for children is approximately 2 minutes more than their chronological age. Adults cannot concentrate for longer than 20-25 minutes SO ...

4. What have we learnt about learning? Hour-long lessons demand at least 3 activities. Build in styles for different learners Have a 2-minute break. Get pupils to stand up and move around.

5. What have we learnt about learning? People learn more at the beginning and end of a learning experience than they do in the middle SO ...

6. What have we learnt about learning? The beginning of lessons is often wasted. Make the opening dramatic and engage interest in the first minute.

7. What have we learnt about learning? Introduce the key learning point at the beginning of a learning period, ideally in the first 60 seconds, even before you say ‘good morning’.

8. What have we learnt about learning? If you start with an intro and a recap of last lesson, you risk introducing the key point 25-40 minutes into the lesson. Aim to create lots of new beginnings.

9. What have we learnt about learning? Collect or give out homework in the middle of the lesson rather than at the beginning.

10. What have we learnt about learning? Mike Hughes, Closing the Learning Gap

11. What have we learnt about learning? • People learn in different ways. Some prefer to: • See information (visual learners). They say “That looks good to me”. They look upwards. They speak rapidly. They like to visualise, draw, write

12. What have we learnt about learning? • Some people prefer to: • Hear information (auditory learners). They say “That rings a bell”. They have level eye movement. They like to hear someone explain something.

13. What have we learnt about learning? • Some people prefer to: • Do something (kinaesthetic learners). They say “I don’t follow”. They tend to look down. They fidget and need regular breaks. They like to make things. They walk around when they read. SO ...

14. What have we learnt about learning? Each class will probably have a third of each type of learners. Kinaesthetic learners find it especially difficult to learn in other styles.

15. What have we learnt about learning? The brain needs fuel – oxygen, water, protein and rest – otherwise it won’t function efficiently SO ...

16. What have we learnt about learning? Get pupils moving (oxygen). Get them to come and collect books. Move them into groups, or get them to stand up. Tell them about the need to feed and water their brains. Have water available. Serve breakfast.

17. What have we learnt about learning? Mike Hughes, Closing the Learning Gap

18. What have we learnt about learning? People do not learn effectively under stress. Our brains go into survival mode and cannot learn effectively. Equally, brains respond to challenge. Boys especially thrive on challenge SO ...

19. What have we learnt about learning? Create a learning environment that puts students at their ease. Think about display, furniture and the way you greet them.

20. What have we learnt about learning? 50% of communication is non-verbal. Be more conscious of the messages you send out. Start with a smile.

21. What have we learnt about learning? Starting lessons with Q&A sessions may well induce stress. Give students a sense of being in control – eg choosing which order of activities or what style they would like it explained in

22. What have we learnt about learning? Kinaesthetic learners are the ones most disadvantaged in secondary schools. So … employ a range of styles, making activities very different in nature.

23. What have we learnt about learning? Learning is hugely enhanced when the whole brain is engaged.

24. What have we learnt about learning? The left side processes information logically and sequentially.

25. What have we learnt about learning? The right prefers to see things as a whole and is comfortable working randomly and intuitively.

26. What have we learnt about learning? Classrooms have tended to emphasise left-brain learning.

27. What have we learnt about learning? Reading, listening and writing are left-brain activities. To connect both sides of the brain, get students to ...

28. What have we learnt about learning? to describe (left) a picture or diagram (right); visualise (right) a written description (left); convert text (left) into a picture (right); turn key words (left) into a poem (right); identify key words (left) and write them in a different colour (right)

29. What have we learnt about learning? Mike Hughes, Closing the Learning Gap

30. What have we learnt about learning? Recall is dramatically improved when information is regularly reviewed. Without review, information is lost almost immediately. Within 24 hours, 80% of a lesson will be forgotten without review. SO ...

31. What have we learnt about learning? The best time for recall is ten minutes after teaching something. Build in review time by finishing the main topic ten minutes before the end of the lesson ...

32. What have we learnt about learning? ... Review just the key points, ideally using different methods – eg make the key points into a diagram; verbalise key points to a neighbour; write out key words in a different colour.

33. What have we learnt about learning? For optimum effect, review again 24 hours later; then a week later; then a month later.

34. What have we learnt about learning? … and how will you change your teaching?

35. What have we learnt about learning? In lessons at the moment ... • Students spend most of their time reading, writing and listening • Students answer a lot of questions • The beginnings and ends of lessons are often wasted

36. What have we learnt about learning? In lessons at the moment ... • Activities, including the teacher’s introduction, often last beyond students’ concentration span • Many lessons consist of a single main activity

37. What have we learnt about learning? In lessons at the moment ... • The key learning point is often delivered in the middle of the lesson • Lessons are highly predictable • Students are often placed under negative stress

38. What have we learnt about learning? In lessons at the moment ... • Most things are forgotten within 24 hours • Students are often bored

39. What have we learnt about learning? … and how will you change your teaching?